48. Wedding Days and Bundles Of Joy

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My dad kissed my cheek as we stopped at the altar and I stood in front of Cristiano who had a suppressed grin on his face as he held my hands. No one's even said anything yet and I'm already tearing up. Don't judge, I'm pregnant.

"You look beautiful beyond words." He whispered almost inaudibly. Out of all times I choose to blush, why now? He chuckled at my red cheeks and continued gazing at me.

I tuned out Father Stefani's 'we are gathered here today' speech and hoped I wouldn't have to say 'butterballs' in the middle of our vows. But I was mainly focusing on Cristiano's attempts to communicate telepathically to me. He was making discreet faces and I just shrugged slightly, not having any idea as to what he's trying to say.

His eyes looked pointedly at my belly and back at my face, silently asking if I was okay. I nodded a little, and he smiled at the sound of his name, which meant it was his turn to say his vows.

"Harlow, five months ago, I almost died. Thinking, paralyzed in that bed, I knew I was dying. I could feel it. I began to think that if I did die, I'd at least die happy knowing that I'd gotten at least a taste of what it felt like to love you. But I knew you wouldn't possibly let me go. You'd kill me if I died on you," he chuckled breathlessly, making me chuckle too.

"I had faith that I'd live, and I wouldn't have that faith if I didn't have you to hold on to. I guess what I'm promising, is that I'll always have faith in you, in us. I'd never do anything to throw away what we have."

I smiled, really getting emotional now. I heard Charlie sniffle behind me and I giggled silently. Now it was my turn.

"Cristiano, you kidnapped me. Well, James and Rocco did but it was your idea. Anyways, at the time I was so mad at you. I honestly thought you were taking me God knows where my life would be more messed up than it already was. But thinking back on it now, I'm glad you did that. Because you actually gave me a family. Something I never really had. And I'll always love you for that, and I'll always consider that as the best thing to ever happen to me. There will never be a day where I stop."

Charlie nudged my back as a tear fell down my cheek and I turned to him, letting go of Cristiano's hands to get his ring. I turned back to Cristiano and looked down at my wedding ring. Damn, that was a big rock.

I slid his ring onto his ring finger on his left hand, and he did the same to me with my wedding ring.

Father Stefani smiled at the both of us, clearing his throat. "Do you, Cristiano Romano, take Harlow Winters to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do." Cristiano said, before mouthing 'duh' to me, making me giggle a little.

"And do you, Harlow Winters, take Cristiano Romano to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"Of course I do." I smiled.

He looked at Cristiano. "You may now kiss the bride." And at that, Cristiano cupped my face with his hands and crashed his lips into mine as if he hadn't kissed me in years. Everyone erupted in cheers and I smiled against my husband's lips.

"No butterballs yet?" He whispered, clearly happy.

"Not yet." I shook my head and pecked his lips once more. He held my hand as we walked down the aisle to start off the reception. Everyone followed us into the ballroom, still cheery, and music rang throughout the hall.

"May I have this dance?" Cristiano asked as people started to dance around us. I smiled and nodded as he placed a hand to my lower back and swayed to the rhythm of the music as he held my other hand and intertwined our fingers. "So how do you feel?"

"Now that I have a husband that loves me? Amazing. I couldn't be better." I breathed, really amazed that this day had actually come.

He kissed my lips sweetly and sighed. "Neither could I. I love you so much, Harlow Romano."

I giggled at how gleeful he was to share his last name with me. "I love you too." He looked at my belly the same reason I did. He must've felt the kicks too since we were stomach to stomach. "And I think they do too."

He chuckled in delight at our babies' very on time kicks. His eyes went to something behind me and I turned my head to smile at my dad. He didn't even have to ask as Cristiano kissed my cheek before leaving me to dance with my dad so he could dance with a very happy and teary eyed Marcella.

"Hey, dad." I grinned at him before laughing a little. "Are you crying?"

"No. I just yawned a few minutes ago." He denied, knowing I knew that was a total lie. "I honestly never thought I'd be able to walk my daughter down the aisle. I thought I'd spend the rest of my life regretting everything I didn't do to make sure you had a great life."

I pursed my lips and shook my head. "Dad, you knew what you were doing when you left to go back to the Institution. There are multiple check-in stamps under your name and they took watch of how many files you opened. You were making sure I could love, weren't you?"

He looked at me in surprise and sighed. "I didn't want to let them take away your heart too. I couldn't do that. I'm sorry I left, I just had to make sure you were able to walk down the aisle to someone you loved."

"And by doing that, you did something to make my life better. If you had never done that, I wouldn't be in love with my husband. And that would be the worst thing ever to me." I said. "You kind of gave me a future."

He smiled warmly, kissing my forehead. "I love my little sugarplum."

I laughed and hugged him. "I love you too, dad."

He eventually pulled away from me to go talk to Eli who was busy with one month old Nicky at the moment, and Eli mouthed that he'd talk to me later. I walked toward Dominic who had a smile on his face, and he didn't notice me when I stood next to him.

"So how does it feel stepping down from the throne, in-law?" I asked.

He looked at me, and pulled me into a hug. "I know I didn't say this before, but I have utmost faith that you and Cristiano can lead my mafia. I honestly never doubted it for a second. But of course, I'm gonna be a second-in-command capo. Just until he gets the hang of it."

"I wouldn't expect you to do anything else. I can't possibly see you sitting around doing nothing." I chuckled.

He excused himself because Marcella had called him. I went over to Charlie but a hand grabbed mine and Zach took me in his arms. "You didn't think I'd go the entire reception without dancing with my cupcake, did you?"

I smiled at him. "Of course not."

"Good." He grinned, then paused. "Unless you're too tired."

"I'm not tired, trust me. You seem happy with Gia." I said. He sighed contently at the mention.

"Yup, the hot doctor and I are going great. Sammy's over there eating every gummy bear they had laid out on the table for kids. That seems to be his hobby–catching cavities." He shook his head.

I laughed, and he twirled me like he always did. "So Gia has an ambulance on standby just in case you go 'butterballs'." I nodded, and Sammy came over and pulled at Zach's suit jacket. "What's up bud?"

"Can I cut in?" He asked adorably, smiling largely.

Zach chuckled and let go of me. "She's all yours." He winked at me before going to talk to Gia.

Sammy grabbed my hands and kept smiling. "Hi, Harlow!"

I giggled. "Hey Sammy. How were those gummy bears?"

"Great! They had my favorite flavor–cherry! And they gave me ice cream too!" He lit up.

*****

I was still dancing with Sammy, and Cristiano was dancing with his hilarious grandmother who I had met a while ago. Sammy went on about school, candy, and plans with Zach and Gia over the weekends. My feet were a little achy along with my back, but it didn't bother me.

Sammy threw his hands up, and that was my signal to twirl. I pulled up my dress in the front so I wouldn't trip or anything. As soon as I turned back to Sammy, something wet dropped on my feet and the floor. Making my eyes widen.

He looked down, and back at me. "Harlow, you peed."

"I know, go tell Cristiano! And say butterballs, okay?" He nodded quickly and ran to go get Cristiano across the room. I felt a small pain in my lower belly and it soon turned into a big pain.

Cristiano

"You've got a good woman, Cristiano." My nonna said as if I didn't already know that.

"I know, nonna. Are you sure you don't want to go sit down?" I asked.

"Oh I'm sure. I'm 75, not 103." She pursed her lips with obviousness. I laughed a little, and felt a tug at my suit jacket. I looked down at Sammy who looked disgusted.

"Whats going on Sam?" I smiled.

"Harlow peed on herself, and she told me to tell you something about a buttery ball." He shrugged. My eyebrows furrowed and I looked over to where they were, seeing Harlow clutching her stomach with a pained look.

"Excuse me, nonna." I nodded at her and ran across the dance floor getting Gia along the way. We got to Harlow and she grasped my arm.

"Butterballs!" She shouted at me, and everyone had heard her, making everybody hurry to stand up.

Gia grabbed her hand and took us to the ambulance outside, and I hopped in with them. They closed the doors, and soon we were on our way to the hospital with nothing but Gia's telling Harlow to calm down and Harlow's pained grunts.

*****

Getting into the hospital, I went with them into the next available room and they quickly had to get Harlow changed into a hospital gown. Because she was yelling that they were real diamonds, which I certainly did not know. I unzipped her dressed and she pulled it off over head and I tied on the hospital gown, and for a woman going into labor, she sure wasn't screaming that loud.

Zach was the only other person allowed in the room and he felt the need to say it out loud. "For someone currently about to have two babies out of their nether regions, you are really chill about it."

"I have high pain tolerance, it's not something I was born with, they made me that way." She said before whimpering loudly, 'they' being the Institution. Eli gave the doctors the cure so they could give it to Eros and Rosaria as soon as possible. "And Cristiano, if you ask if I'm okay, I'm going to hit you."

I chuckled. "I won't."

"Gia can I push yet?" She asked desperately. We just got here five minutes ago, even I know she isn't ready.

"Nope, not ready yet, Har." She said, sliding on her white latex gloves.

A long, long three and a half hours went by and Harlow was nearly there. By now, she was getting a little out of it.

"Happy one year anniversary, by the way." I said, just remembering. Her tired eyes looked at me, and she kept a blank look.

She was silent for a second. "I'm sorry, what the hell did you say?" She breathed.

"I said, happy one year anniversary. I've been your boyfriend for a year, remember?" I grinned, not believing a year went by that fast.

She blinked, then smiled. "Oh my God, you have! Happy one year, babe." She grasped my hand and interlaced our fingers. I kissed the back of her hand and she tensed, feeling another contraction. "Gia, please tell me I'm ready!"

She checked, and smiled at her. "That was quick."

"Quick?!" She groaned. Gia gave the okay to push and I instantly regretted letting her grab my hand instead of a pillow.

"A-Ah—Harlow!" I hissed as I watched my fingers slowly turn purple. "You're cutting off the circulation to my fingers."

"Yeah, well I'm giving birth!" She countered, all while Zach found this so amusing.

"Then hold your best friend's hand!" I said, and she let go of my hand and gripped onto Zach's.

"What? She's your wife! You hold her hand!" He scoffed, holding his breath and clenching his jaw from Harlow's outstandingly crushing grip.

She groaned and grabbed both our hands. "Shut the fuck up! I'm trying to concentrate!" She growled at the both of us and Zach stuck his tongue out at me, leaving me to reciprocate by flipping him off with the hand that actually had blood circulating through it.

"I see a head!" Gia updated, and Harlow groaned.

"Can you just pull him or her out from there?"

"Unless you want your baby to have a broken neck, I don't suggest that, so keep pushing." She chirped and I knew it was her job to be positive, but Harlow was very close to lashing out.

Then she was dead silent, and went into full on scary focus mode. By this time, I just thought 'fuck this hand, I might as well cut it off and give it to her'. I had no feeling in my hand and when a loud cry filled my ears, I looked up. "Who is it?" I asked eagerly as Harlow sighed.

"Is that the last one?" She asked wearily.

"Nope, you've still got Rosaria." Gia smiled, and in a good three seconds, she handed off Eros to the doctor with the serum cure. "Push, Harlow."

Harlow squeezed her eyes shut and beads of sweat formed at her temples. Her roots were soaked and I regretted not putting her hair in a ponytail so she wouldn't be as uncomfortable with strands of hair sticking to her neck.

"Harlow, I need you to let go so I can get Eros." I said quietly, because she'll snap if I get what even remotely qualifies as loud to her.

She let go of my hand and I shook it, sighing with relief. The doctor came over with Eros and I gently took him into my arms, smiling at my son. His amazing bright silver eyes slowly closed as I caressed his cheek with my thumb, kissing his little head.

Another cry filled my ears and after a good five minutes, Harlow held our daughter in her arms. Eros began to cry from Rosaria's crying and I lightly rocked him and shushed him.

"Want to switch?" She asked me as soon as they both calmed down, and I obliged without hesitation. She carefully took Rosaria into the arm closest to me and I carefully gave her Eros and I took Rosaria.

She opened her beautiful ocean blue eyes and cooed at me, and I smiled. "Hi, Rosie." I said softly, rubbing her head that had light, black curling strands of hair.

"I know their names, but I need to document their full names." Gia said.

"I knew we forgot something. Middle name. Or, in your case, middles names." Harlow said.

"The men in my family only have long names because we're named after our male ancestors. My name goes back generations." I said with a matter of fact. "Plus you have a long name too, Harlow Rose-Montgomery Winters-Romano. Yours has more words than mine."

"I'd rather just be called Harlow Rose-Montgomery Romano. No Winters." She said in the same tone, which led me to a smile. "How about we stick with just two or less middle names for Eros? 'Cause if he ever gets in trouble and I have to call his full name, I don't want to run out of breath."

"Yeah, I know I'm part of that tradition, but I get tired of saying my own name." Zach said. In case you've forgotten, his full name is Zachariah Moretti Vivaldi de Luca. "Stick with one name and, sadly, Eli called dibs on somebody's name."

I laughed a little. "Okay. How about Eros Elliott Romano?" She nodded and thought for a second. "And Rosaria Emilia Romano. After my birth mother."

"Perfect." I said, and Gia made it an official document.

She then left the room and rolled in a wheelchair, and as soon as Harlow's eyes landed on it, she rolled her eyes. "Oh not this frigging wheelchair again." She refused, also refused to curse around the babies.

"Harlow, you need to rest, so you need to move around in a wheelchair for at least more than an hour." Gia sighed.

"Come on, I can hold two babies." I assured. She looked at me skeptically but let me hold Eros and Rosaria at once anyways.

Zach helped her move from the bed to the wheelchair and when she sat down, I grinned. "Eros or Rosie?"

"You can have more time with Rosie." She insisted, and I gave her Eros. Zach pecked Gia's cheek before grasping the handles of the wheelchair and pushing Harlow out of the room with me in tow.

We went into the waiting room and Charlie was upside down in his chair with his legs high and against the wall like he wasn't currently waiting in a hospital. Jack and my father were playing a small game of poker and everybody else was on the verge of falling asleep from boredom. Especially Sammy who was napping in my mother's arms.

"Wake up, people." Zach said, but not too loud.

Jack and my dad, put down their cards faced down and headed toward us along with the others who suddenly weren't so tired. Charlie literally flipped out of his chair and came over, looking at Rosaria first, then Eros.

"These babies look too perfect to be real." He said, and Harlow laughed. "I'm serious, you can't take a look at these babes and say that they have any imperfections. I better be at least one godfather."

"Don't worry, you are co-godfather with Zach." I said as Harlow and I previously discussed. He and Zach high fived and Rosaria cooed at the noise. I looked at her and a smile made its way onto my face again.

"In case you haven't overheard our name conversation, this is Eros Elliott Romano. And she's Rosaria Emilia Romano." She glanced at Jack as she said it and he smiled sadly at Rosaria's name.

"So your promised eight months left in the estate start now, and you move out when Harlow turns 21." My mother reminded, and I nodded only taking my attention away from my daughter for a second.

"By then our house will be 100% baby-safe and ready to move into." I shrugged, as Rosaria threw her hand over my mouth. I chuckled and kissed her hand repeatedly. I looked at my father who looked a mixture of weirded out and surprised. "And you thought I wasn't ready."

"You've had them for a good fifteen minutes. Just wait till it's bedtime." He smirked with smugness.

"And to wake up with three hours of sleep." My mother added.

"It's more like two, if it's a bad day." Eli shrugged.

"We'll see about that." I said with confidence.

___________________________________________________

Two chapters away from the end! You have a week to read it all before I edit every single chapter to make it better.

Please let me know if there's any chapter you want improved, and I solemnly swear that I will improve it!

Bye, loves!

- COA


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